Making the Most out of a Trade show or Expo
Showcasing your business at an Expo can be a brilliant way to promote your products and service and to attract new clients.
The direct contact you have with potential clients of whom you can read instantly if those clients are:-
3. Simply lookers and takers of everything and everyone (could buy from you)
2. Interested parties who could be potential clients (may buy from you)
1. Keen to be involved in your business.. (Will buy from you if treated right)
Having this direct and instant result means that an investment in both time and money in an expo can be beneficial to your business.
ONLY go if
And that you MUST … MUST follow-up with those you meet at the expo..
I am shocked at how many times I have asked people what happened to all the data of information of potential clients that you attracted during the expo… “I put in my filing cabinet” or “I put it in my computer” have you contacted them… “Oh no I have been to busy”
Seriously don’t go if you are not going to follow up on a least your HOT leads.
Remember that people who go to the expo have an interest in what you are promoting and in many cases they have paid an entrance fee to enter the expo, these are by their very nature interested parties. This then makes expos and business fairs a great investment for your business.
Unlike other marketing campaigns and newspapers adds expos offer a face-to-face opportunity with a very high attendance of potential customers. It can be a long weekend and it is tiring but the benefits of walking away with a business deal and new potential contacts in just a few minutes is brilliant.
How can I get my business to stand out?
Don’t forget to also say hello and introduce yourself to those around you and engage them, they are your potential clients and can also refer business your way, especially if they are in the same industry but are not competitors to your business.
Go around the expo if you can and obtain the cards of other stall holders and contact them during the following week and introduce yourself, say something about the expo and how perhaps you would like to connect with them at the next one or even now if advantageous to your business. ALWAYS REMAIN POSITIVE and if you can recall anything about their stand, make a comment about it. People love to be acknowledged and appreciated.
Tips for the EXPO
Can you get a list of all the stall-holders prior to the event, this way you can perhaps market to them first, especially if you are a sign writer.
FOLLOW UP any potential clients the following week after the expo.
Don’t forget everyone else at the show, the workers the other stall holders etc, Promote your business to everyone –
Keep your costs DOWN – use a x promoter for prizes and fliers.
When you book your stall ask for a corner spot.
Make sure you have enough pens, brochures, fliers, business cards and display items for the weekend, including blue tac and pins – held at your stall, not in your car, try never to run out of anything. BOOK your brochures etc at least one month prior to the event so that the printer also has time to finish the order.
Make sure you see a layout of the event prior to booking your stall so that you are not tucked into a dark corner.
Think of the layout and how the people will enter and leave the expo, make sure your stall is on a busy “road”.
Does the event cover insurance for stall holders or do we need our own, if they do cover it, MAKE sure you see this clause in the contract.
Find out the rules about signage outside your stall and can you use A Frame advertising boards OUTSIDE your stall.
Can you walk around the expo handing out your fliers – some expos say NO, and watch over the weekend that people just don’t turn up and hand out their fliers to anyone and everyone. I have seen this often, people who have not booked a site attend a expo and just walk around and drop fliers and handouts either on tables or to patrons, this is not fair to the ones who have paid for and booked a stall. That is why a lot of expo and fair co-ordinators do not allow this any more.
what is the number of patrons that you are expecting, how many years have you run this event, how many people attended last year
Is there a brochure or advertising book going out with this event and is my site included in this manual and/or advertising book at NO COST to me.
What advertising are you doing for the event itself, to bring patrons into the event.
Is there an entrance fee, if so how much, how many free tickets will you be supplying, how many tickets will my stall be able to take. This is because you can use it on your newsletter to send out to your clients INVITING them to the event to see your site at no cost to them.
Is there a discount for me attending this show – as a first time attendee as a stall holder.
If there are a number of shows that this business does, eg some shows travel around the country. These shows offer two paid stalls and one free. Such as paid stall in Sydney and Melbourne and your site in Perth is FREE.
If you cannot offer me a discount what can you offer me to make me want to come on board with your show, what extras or incentives can I get. If you don’t ask you won’t get, these extras are always made available in the expo organizers budget for the savvy people who ask.
Does the site come with signage, tables, cloths, chairs etc. IF not ask for it to be included in the price.
Is there a seminar room that you could have one hour of the time to showcase your product – at no charge to you. Including the advertising and announcing of this seminar in the event program.
Does the site come with side walls, if not then do you supply partitions – are these free standing, can we have pins with them, what colour are they, this is important especially if you have a colour scheme with your branding.
What size stall do you need pace it out in your office or lounge room, think what do I want in the stand, often the best size is a 3mtr x 3mtr, but they do come as small as 1mtr squared, up to a big marquee. If you only need a 3 x 3 when purchasing the stand of the expo, ask for a 6 x 3 upgrade at no cost to you, the worst they can say is NO.
IMPORTANT – a static display, this is a display of your brochures, fliers and information, it is displayed on stands but NOONE is in the stall, THIS IS VERY INEFFECTIVE as people do not take these items unless they are very very interested, people usually just walk past these stands.
Do you need electricity if so will it be a generator or in house, do you get this included in the price, and do you need to bring an extension lead.
And MOSTLY
Contact your leads within five days of the event’s end date
Writen By
Sharyn McCaskey
Company Director - Mdvs Business Service and Training
Off Line Marketing and Facebook Marketing Expert
Winner – Women in Business 2008 South Coast Regional Chambers of Commerce Small Business Awards
Finalist – Micro Business Operator 2011 Rockingham Kwinana Chambers of Commerce
08 95292828 0408 863331
mdvs@iinet.net.au www.mdvs.com.au
www.facebook.com.au/MdvsBusinessServices
EMPOWER YOURSELF WITH THE KNOWLEDGE –
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
Showcasing your business at an Expo can be a brilliant way to promote your products and service and to attract new clients.
The direct contact you have with potential clients of whom you can read instantly if those clients are:-
3. Simply lookers and takers of everything and everyone (could buy from you)
2. Interested parties who could be potential clients (may buy from you)
1. Keen to be involved in your business.. (Will buy from you if treated right)
Having this direct and instant result means that an investment in both time and money in an expo can be beneficial to your business.
ONLY go if
- You send your best and happiest staff to the expo or go yourself if you can…
- You set up your stand with a trestle table between you and the attendees, always have the table to the wall so that your stand is inviting people in with NO barriers, if you have to have the trestle table in front, then YOU stand in front of your display not IN it.
- You do not sit behind the table reading a book or paper
- You don’t have the same stand, competition and guide as everyone else does.
- You always have a happy and genuine smile and interest in each person.
And that you MUST … MUST follow-up with those you meet at the expo..
I am shocked at how many times I have asked people what happened to all the data of information of potential clients that you attracted during the expo… “I put in my filing cabinet” or “I put it in my computer” have you contacted them… “Oh no I have been to busy”
Seriously don’t go if you are not going to follow up on a least your HOT leads.
- Make sure the expo suits your business
- Request as much information as possible about visitors and where they are marketing to and in what media, radio, newspaper, social media etc… (who they are, what their roles are, whether they are decision makers, what vertical markets they represent etc.);
- Set a budget and DON’T over stock and over do your stand, less is more
- Come up with something that will make you stand out from the crowd, I own a complete set of exact replicas of the Four Ned Kelly Armours and on display they stand out dramatically, we do lease them out to clients if you are interested, call me to ask for details.
- Launch a new product
- Remember to make your exhibit inviting;
- Put your best people on the stand and have a meeting PRIOR to the event so that everyone is on the same page and knows what is expected of them.
- Don’t do the hard sell, you are there to make contacts, and later you can contact your number 1 keen interested parties to follow up on selling your product/service.
- Be energetic, engaging and smile; and be genuine.
Remember that people who go to the expo have an interest in what you are promoting and in many cases they have paid an entrance fee to enter the expo, these are by their very nature interested parties. This then makes expos and business fairs a great investment for your business.
Unlike other marketing campaigns and newspapers adds expos offer a face-to-face opportunity with a very high attendance of potential customers. It can be a long weekend and it is tiring but the benefits of walking away with a business deal and new potential contacts in just a few minutes is brilliant.
How can I get my business to stand out?
- Make your exhibit welcoming, less is more and keep it simple, bright colours always are attractive and do not place barriers between you and your clients.
- Dress up your stall in a U shape if you can.
- Be well presented and dressed properly yourself, including grooming, not to much perfume/after shave.
- Wear a uniform if you can, something that identifies you as the stall holder.
- Have your most engaging staff or yourself as the hosts of the stall. Be prepared with why would someone want to do business with YOU
- Always be attentive, genuine and smiling.
- If there is more than one person waiting to speak to you, excuse yourself from the client you are talking to and take a phone number of that interested party. Then call them on their mobile when you are free, or ask them would they mind waiting, ACKNOWLEDGMENT is the KEY
- Remember your goal is to make a connection not a friend who you will chat with all day, so once you have the genuine connection offer to call that person during the week and use that time to invite them to your business or answer any more questions they may have had and PHONE them within a few days at the most of the expo.
- Avoid the words competition or promotion, people are savvy to now know this is purely to capture data… be honest and ask do you want to be contacted after the expo, people prefer to deal with honest and upfront businesses.
- Use facebook to ask your fans…. “what would make me stand out at a expo, can you offer ideas that are different to the norm in order for my stand to STAND OUT”
- Photos and roll on videos are brilliant especially if they are bright and engaging.
Don’t forget to also say hello and introduce yourself to those around you and engage them, they are your potential clients and can also refer business your way, especially if they are in the same industry but are not competitors to your business.
Go around the expo if you can and obtain the cards of other stall holders and contact them during the following week and introduce yourself, say something about the expo and how perhaps you would like to connect with them at the next one or even now if advantageous to your business. ALWAYS REMAIN POSITIVE and if you can recall anything about their stand, make a comment about it. People love to be acknowledged and appreciated.
Tips for the EXPO
Can you get a list of all the stall-holders prior to the event, this way you can perhaps market to them first, especially if you are a sign writer.
FOLLOW UP any potential clients the following week after the expo.
Don’t forget everyone else at the show, the workers the other stall holders etc, Promote your business to everyone –
Keep your costs DOWN – use a x promoter for prizes and fliers.
When you book your stall ask for a corner spot.
Make sure you have enough pens, brochures, fliers, business cards and display items for the weekend, including blue tac and pins – held at your stall, not in your car, try never to run out of anything. BOOK your brochures etc at least one month prior to the event so that the printer also has time to finish the order.
Make sure you see a layout of the event prior to booking your stall so that you are not tucked into a dark corner.
Think of the layout and how the people will enter and leave the expo, make sure your stall is on a busy “road”.
Does the event cover insurance for stall holders or do we need our own, if they do cover it, MAKE sure you see this clause in the contract.
Find out the rules about signage outside your stall and can you use A Frame advertising boards OUTSIDE your stall.
Can you walk around the expo handing out your fliers – some expos say NO, and watch over the weekend that people just don’t turn up and hand out their fliers to anyone and everyone. I have seen this often, people who have not booked a site attend a expo and just walk around and drop fliers and handouts either on tables or to patrons, this is not fair to the ones who have paid for and booked a stall. That is why a lot of expo and fair co-ordinators do not allow this any more.
what is the number of patrons that you are expecting, how many years have you run this event, how many people attended last year
Is there a brochure or advertising book going out with this event and is my site included in this manual and/or advertising book at NO COST to me.
What advertising are you doing for the event itself, to bring patrons into the event.
Is there an entrance fee, if so how much, how many free tickets will you be supplying, how many tickets will my stall be able to take. This is because you can use it on your newsletter to send out to your clients INVITING them to the event to see your site at no cost to them.
Is there a discount for me attending this show – as a first time attendee as a stall holder.
If there are a number of shows that this business does, eg some shows travel around the country. These shows offer two paid stalls and one free. Such as paid stall in Sydney and Melbourne and your site in Perth is FREE.
If you cannot offer me a discount what can you offer me to make me want to come on board with your show, what extras or incentives can I get. If you don’t ask you won’t get, these extras are always made available in the expo organizers budget for the savvy people who ask.
Does the site come with signage, tables, cloths, chairs etc. IF not ask for it to be included in the price.
Is there a seminar room that you could have one hour of the time to showcase your product – at no charge to you. Including the advertising and announcing of this seminar in the event program.
Does the site come with side walls, if not then do you supply partitions – are these free standing, can we have pins with them, what colour are they, this is important especially if you have a colour scheme with your branding.
What size stall do you need pace it out in your office or lounge room, think what do I want in the stand, often the best size is a 3mtr x 3mtr, but they do come as small as 1mtr squared, up to a big marquee. If you only need a 3 x 3 when purchasing the stand of the expo, ask for a 6 x 3 upgrade at no cost to you, the worst they can say is NO.
IMPORTANT – a static display, this is a display of your brochures, fliers and information, it is displayed on stands but NOONE is in the stall, THIS IS VERY INEFFECTIVE as people do not take these items unless they are very very interested, people usually just walk past these stands.
Do you need electricity if so will it be a generator or in house, do you get this included in the price, and do you need to bring an extension lead.
And MOSTLY
Contact your leads within five days of the event’s end date
Writen By
Sharyn McCaskey
Company Director - Mdvs Business Service and Training
Off Line Marketing and Facebook Marketing Expert
Winner – Women in Business 2008 South Coast Regional Chambers of Commerce Small Business Awards
Finalist – Micro Business Operator 2011 Rockingham Kwinana Chambers of Commerce
08 95292828 0408 863331
mdvs@iinet.net.au www.mdvs.com.au
www.facebook.com.au/MdvsBusinessServices
EMPOWER YOURSELF WITH THE KNOWLEDGE –
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
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